狙 — “Aim At / Sight / Shadow / Stalk” in Japanese

Master (高手)そ, しょ, ねら

Radical ⽝ · radical 94 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Aim At / Sight / Shadow / Stalk” in Japanese is 狙, read so, sho, nera (そ, しょ, ねら). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 狙撃 (sniping).

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What does 狙 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	狙
Meaning	Aim At / Sight / Shadow / Stalk
Readings	そ, しょ, ねら
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	狙撃 (sniping)

How to read 狙

狙 is read so (そ) or sho (しょ) or nera (ねら) depending on the word.

Words with 狙

狙撃

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Kanji read the same way as 狙

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28